End of Week 3: You Can't Fight Physics

Well, that was fun while it lasted. I know that I now have the strength, stamina and flexibility to complete the rest of the training plan, but the little matter of a stiff big toe is bringing everything to a halt. Don't believe me?

A bunion is "an abnormal enlargement of the joint (the first metatarsophalangeal joint, or MTPJ) at the base of the great or big toe (hallux)." It's usually either an inflammation of the bursa around the joint, or bony ridged growth around the ends of the bones meeting at the joint. A dorsal bunion, which forms on the top of the foot, limits upward bending of the big toe. In the running stride, this limits the push-off from the big toe unless the foot or leg does something to overcome it.

There's a saying I remember from structural analysis - stiffness attracts load. If you push on an otherwise flexible wood-frame building that contains one steel column, the steel will take up most of the stress because it cannot be displaced as far as the wood without requiring more force. If all the toes are flexible but the big toe is stiff, the big toe will do a disproportionate amount of work.

The muscle and tendon which plantarflex the hallux come around the inside ankle bone (medial malleolus) like a pulley and attach about three inches up on the posterior medial side of the tibia. This insertion point will get inflamed and painful from all the increased work the big toe has to do, and that's the case with my left foot.

The only way to correct the dorsal bunion is with surgery called an osteotomy, of which there are several types depending on the technique used to cut and shorten the first metatarsal, and named for the surgeons who invented them. There are ways to reduce stress on the hallux, one of which is to simply raise it with padding. This allows the big toe to remain straighter on push-off and moves the push-off point from the toe to the front of the metatarsal. I've had this type of padding before but forgot that it may be of some use.

Time to call the podiatrist and see if he can fix me ASAP.

Hurts to Run

"Unclear etiology." That's what doctors say when they can't explain the source of a problem. Running on pavement Sunday, heavy calf presses at PT, ongoing foot issues and biking to work are all confounding the left leg pain.

Today I stopped running after my half mile warmup. This sucks. Stress at work is making me depressed and I can't run to feel better. Time to start drinking heavily.

Let the Excuses Begin

Travel for a 3-day work meeting, golf, drinking beer, and a tendinitis flare-up in the left tibialis posterior tendon have kept me off the road this week. I will get to the blogging and (maybe) the running this weekend after some shut-eye. Geez... this post is so short I could have used Twitter...

A New Addition to the Family

The New Balance 858.

Early results: MUCH more cushioning than the Brooks Addictions, but maybe the Addictions are just losing their midsole. Definitely lighter - they should be good for racing and speed training. They are the same size (10.5) but a hair narrower, and a touch shorter; neither should be a big deal. The knobby laces might take some getting used to.

No run again today because of car issues and new dog issues. Spring vet checkup yesterday plus new gas tank for 16-year-old car today = more reaming. Ow.

The Reaming of a Lifetime

That's what you get sometimes when you have an "older" dog - he has allergies and now dry eye, so we just spent a metric crapload to feed and medicate him. It's a good thing he's cute, otherwise, who knows...? So I was too hungry (and financially demoralized) by the time we got home to run, and figured skipping a day still counts as recovery.

In other news, I spent 1/25 that amount on some new Drymax socks from Running Warehouse (where I've gotten shoes before - free 2-day shipping rocks). I'd heard about them from IronPol here, and watched an awesome video here, and figured I could spend less than $20 and find out: Are Drymax socks right for me? One thing is certain, the trail running socks look very cool. I will have to wear them for races if only because they look like ass-kicking gear. I won't be running through any lakes or washbasins any time soon, but I will put them through their paces and let you know how I like them. They won't do much good when it's wet if they're uncomfortable when it's dry.

Easter Break

No running since last Thursday, which was an easy 4.0 miles that I didn't post about. The weekend was spent driving to In-Law Town, eating and drinking lavishly, and not running. The early plan was to run long Saturday or Sunday, but even though the roads were bare, the snow banks were still over 5 ft in most places - not the safest environment for a pedestrian. And it's not the kind of town where runners are common, so drivers wouldn't see me even if they saw me. You know what I mean. (Shut up! Get your own blog, why don'tcha!)

I feel bad about not running at all over the weekend, and I am worried about the race next Sunday, but I should just focus on getting good runs in this week. Nothing too hard or long, so I can just stay loose. Then I think it'll be time for a new pair of shoes - the tibialis posteriors are touchy most of the time now.

Schedule Change

That's what you call it when you go out for a couple of beers after work and don't feel like doing your speed work on the treadmill. OK Wednesday and Thursday, take one step to the right. Depending on the weather, I may push the long run to Sunday which is supposed to be clear and above 30 degrees, but I need to make sure I'm not working hard too close to next Saturday's race. (Why am I so worried about a simple mile in front of the parade crowd? And I'm already thinking about getting down to the start, the weather, warming up enough, the slightly uphill course...)

I've been (somewhat loosely) diagnosed in the past with a high ankle sprain or strain. That's what one doofus Dr. told me when pronation was initially causing me problems in 2005. I still get the occasional tibialis posterior tendon pain but it's usually just a couple of inches above my ankle. Tonight I have a small but very sore spot that is a clear 6 inches above that - maybe I'm still fatigued from last weekend and my form was off the last couple of days. Oh well... Charlie Mike! Speed work tomorrow.

DOMS = Must Strengthen Core!

Yesterday, the insidious DOMS appeared, likely a result of Saturday's 10 miles and Sunday's easy 4 with several sprints (thinking I shouldn't do too many sprints/strides on easy runs). DOMS in the legs? Nope - in the stomach, specifically the hypogastric aspect of the rectus abdominus. My chiropractor says my trunk is hyperflexible and recommends core strengthening. When I make the time to add it to the program, you'll find out about it here. Runner's World has a great core series with videos starring the Freaky Abs Team - holy cow...

Today's easy run may not happen, as I have an evening meeting to attend and I can't figure out where to put it (before bed? um, no).

Schedule Change!

Off today for no good reason. I could blame it on being tired from the stress of the interview I had today, but that's not a reason. LG will be out of town starting tomorrow, so I can run as much as I want. That makes today's easy 3-4 miles tomorrow's run. Then it's a new distance record of 10 miles on Saturday.

Maybe this time I'll remember to bring my watch. Last Saturday's 8.8 went mostly by feel and the time and pace on the pedometer, which is still a little off, and clunky to use because I have to walk and open it. (Maybe a GPS watch would be useful?) As long as I know the route is at least 10 miles beforehand, it'll be fine.